


Gone But Not Forgotten

by after_midnightmunchies



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Amnesia, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon Compliant, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk and Pidge are the best bros, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Written for VLD Tropes Fest 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-05 20:28:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12801729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/after_midnightmunchies/pseuds/after_midnightmunchies
Summary: The frown that overtook Shiro’s features was the nail in the coffin. Brow furrowed, eyes set in a glare, arms crossed defensively, Shiro was completely closed off. “Stop playing around, Lance. If this is some elaborate prank between you and Pidge, or a bet between you and Keith, it’s not funny.”That stung. It stung more than he wanted to admit. He’d faced more than his fair share of rejection in the past, but this was on another level.“It’s true,” a voice suddenly piped up. All eyes turned to Hunk, Pidge quickly bolting up and defending Lance, as well. “Yeah, you guys got together a couple of months before the invasion.”“Don’t you remember that?” Keith frowned and gave Shiro a worried expression, reaching to press a hand to his forehead.“I don’t,” Shiro murmured quietly, leaning just out of Keith’s reach. He looked down at his lap, forehead creased thoughtfully. When his eyes finally settled on Lance, they were pained and almost regretful. The expression hurt even more than the look of disgust. “Sorry, but I really don’t remember.”





	Gone But Not Forgotten

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Gone But Not Forgotten
> 
> Trope Showcased: Amnesia
> 
> Author: anonymous
> 
> Rating: T
> 
> Content: Shance; Background Heith; Amnesiac Shiro; Canon Compliant; True Love’s Kiss; Hurt & Comfort
> 
> Warnings: Brief mentions of sexy times (mostly implied); Angst
> 
> Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Dreamworks, Netflix, the creators of Voltron, and associates. No copyright infringement intended.
> 
> Summary:  
> The frown that overtook Shiro’s features was the nail in the coffin. Brow furrowed, eyes set in a glare, arms crossed defensively, Shiro was completely closed off. “Stop playing around, Lance. If this is some elaborate prank between you and Pidge, or a bet between you and Keith, it’s not funny.”
> 
> That stung. It stung more than he wanted to admit. He’d faced more than his fair share of rejection in the past, but this was on another level.
> 
> “It’s true,” a voice suddenly piped up. All eyes turned to Hunk, Pidge quickly bolting up and defending Lance, as well. “Yeah, you guys got together a couple of months before the invasion.”
> 
> “Don’t you remember that?” Keith frowned and gave Shiro a worried expression, reaching to press a hand to his forehead.
> 
> “I don’t,” Shiro murmured quietly, leaning just out of Keith’s reach. He looked down at his lap, forehead creased thoughtfully. When his eyes finally settled on Lance, they were pained and almost regretful. The expression hurt even more than the look of disgust. “Sorry, but I really don’t remember.”
> 
> Notes: Annnnnd, it’s finished!! Not gonna lie; this trope was a bit more challenging than I’d anticipated going in, (especially because I chose to make it canon-compliant). But, I’m happy to say that I am very pleased with how it turned out! I hope you all enjoy!!

The cryopod hissed as it slid open, the paladins backing away to give its occupant some space. Shiro’s eyes slowly fluttered open, his body waking up limb by limb. He’d been in the pod for nearly a week; it was a miracle that he’d been alive when Keith found him.

As soon as Shiro moved to take his first tentative step, Lance stepped forward to support him, an arm wrapping around his waist as he draped Shiro’s left arm over his shoulder.

“Come on, we’ve gotta get some food in you,” the brunet urged, ushering him in the direction of the kitchen. “You’ve been out for almost a week, and I don’t know when you last ate before we found you.”

Shiro gave him a startled expression but didn’t speak. Lance was content to assume that he was still in shock; he knew from experience that being revived from near-death took a period of readjustment. And who knew what the Galra had done to him over the months of his absence??

The remaining paladins followed behind at a respectful distance, Allura having already alerted Coran that they were on their way to the dining hall. Lance could feel their eyes on his back, tightening his grip on Shiro possessively. While he wasn’t concerned about losing him to any of his teammates, Shiro’s absence had made him wary in general.

Shiro shifted in his grip, prompting Lance to falter. He caught traces of a grimace cross Shiro’s scruffy face, quickly loosening his grip. While the pod should have healed any potential wounds, he was still entitled to any lingering discomfort.

“Sorry,” Lance mumbled, though he didn’t release him fully. Shiro’s legs were still shaky with each step, and he wouldn’t forgive himself for letting him fall.

It seemed like an eternity before they finally arrived at the dining hall, Coran already having spread the feast that he and Hunk prepared across the table. The paladins’ chatter picked up excitedly as they took their seats, Lance helping Shiro sit before plopping down beside him. Shiro’s thinly veiled confusion was a bit off-putting, but Lance quickly dismissed it again as pod-disorientation.

“A toast to Shiro’s return!” Allura abruptly announced with a broad grin. She raised her goblet from the head of the table, prompting the other paladins to follow.

“Cheers!”

Lance grabbed his own cup and eagerly clinked it with Shiro’s, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek as the room’s occupants cheered and whistled. The unfamiliar facial hair tickled his lips, though it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Maybe he’d convince Shiro to keep it for awhile…

Suddenly, Shiro bolted up from his chair, a wide-eyed expression trained on Lance. “What was that?”

Lance swallowed the lump that rose in his throat, heart pounding erratically in his chest. Shiro’s voice was cold – colder than he’d heard anything directed at him in a long time. “W-What was what?”

Shiro’s eyes studied him with a critical stare, completely devoid of emotion. “Why did you kiss me?”

Lance was painfully aware of the room’s awkward silence. It was almost as cutting as the knife that Shiro pierced through his heart. Struggling to formulate words, Lance choked out, “B-Because I’m your boyfriend.”

The frown that overtook Shiro’s features was the nail in the coffin. Brow furrowed, eyes set in a glare, arms crossed defensively, Shiro was completely closed off. “Stop playing around, Lance. If this is some elaborate prank between you and Pidge, or a bet between you and Keith, it’s not funny.”

That stung. It stung more than he wanted to admit. He’d faced more than his fair share of rejection in the past, but this was on another level.

“It’s true,” a voice suddenly piped up. All eyes turned to Hunk, Pidge quickly bolting up and defending Lance, as well. “Yeah, you guys got together a couple of months before the invasion.”

“Don’t you remember that?” Keith frowned and gave Shiro a worried expression, reaching to press a hand to his forehead.

If he were in the mood, Lance would’ve swatted the hand away and jokingly admonished Keith for even  _ thinking  _ of touching his boyfriend, but right now he was focused on keeping his heart from beating out of his ribcage.

“I don’t,” Shiro murmured quietly, leaning just out of Keith’s reach. He looked down at his lap, forehead creased thoughtfully. When his eyes finally settled on Lance, they were pained and almost regretful. The expression hurt even more than the look of disgust. “Sorry, but I really don’t remember.”

Hunk crossed his arms, leveling a frown at Shiro. “Well I, for one, find that difficult to believe.”

Shiro cocked his head and raised a brow at the yellow paladin. “Excuse me?”

“You were over the moon when you and Lance started dating! I know you’ve been away for a while, but there’s no way you could just  _ forget _ something like that!”

Lance gave Hunk a small, thankful smile for sticking up for him. He wanted to say the same thing, wanted to elaborate on those feelings from his end. He wanted to climb onto the black paladin’s lap, throw his arms around his neck, and jog his memory. But his tongue sank into his mouth like a block of lead.

“He’d never willingly forget something like that!” Keith quickly defended, pounding a fist on the table for emphasis.

“Are you suggesting the Galra did something to him, then?” Allura asked hesitantly.

Keith faltered, eyes darting to the wall. “I…I’m not sure. But considering the length of time that he’s been missing, and going off of his disoriented rambling when I found him, I think it would be a safe guess.”

“I agree.” Pidge adjusted her glasses, giving Shiro a once-over like he had suddenly become a test subject rather than her teammate. She pursed her lips before posing a question: “What’s the last thing you can remember?”

A vacant expression immediately glazed over Shiro’s eyes. After a few minutes of silence, Lance waved a concerned hand in front of his face. It shouldn’t take this long to figure out the last memory that you can remember. Those slate eyes remained misty, though, seemingly lost in his thoughts.

“Shiro?” Allura’s voice seemed to garner a response, Shiro slowly focusing on her. Lance sat back with a small huff, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy that struck him. Everyone else seemed to get a reaction from Shiro  _ except for him.  _ He didn’t want to take it personally, but how could he not?

“Sorry,” he apologized, looking down at his hands thoughtfully. “I guess the last thing I can remember is Keith’s Blade of Marmora Trials. After that, even meeting with the actual members of the Blade, is either blurred or gone.”

The room fell silent again. Lance could feel Shiro shift uncomfortably beside him. His hand reached for his leg out of habit, but he caught himself. If Shiro really didn’t remember their relationship, (and was so off put by the notion of dating him), then he probably wouldn’t be comforted by his touch like he used to be.

“That’s a huge gap,” Hunk finally commented hesitantly.

Pidge nodded, adjusting her glasses. “Though the likelihood that technology to remove memories actually exists is improbable... It’s more likely that they did something to repress them.”

“If that’s the case, then maybe we can jog his memory,” Hunk suggested in agreement.

“And how do you propose we do that? By having Lance kiss him or something?” Keith quipped, arms crossed.

Lance’s heart leapt at the idea. He was a romantic at heart, and this was a scenario right out of those old fairytales – the prince kissing the princess to break the curse.

“I-I wouldn’t mind it if Shiro’s okay with it,” he murmured, shooting an anxious glance toward the paladin in question.

Shiro’s cheeks flushed, but he shrugged in response, turning to Pidge quizzically. “If there’s a chance that it could work, it’s worth a shot.”

“It’s not exactly science, but it’s your choice,” Pidge dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Maybe true love’s kiss and yadda yadda will be on your side.” It was a sarcastic statement, but her eyes blinked curiously at them.

“Aww, Pidge, I didn’t know you were such a romantic,” Lance teased with a smirk.

Shiro cleared his throat, cheeks still blushing rouge. When Lance turned to him, his eyes darted down again. “Um… whenever you’re ready?”

Lance straightened in his chair, turning his body to face him fully. “Right, yeah! Let’s… do this?”

“Doesn’t seem very romantic,” Keith snarked.

Hunk swatted him on the back of the head in response. “Don’t be rude. You try kissing me with everyone’s attention  _ and  _ the fate of my memory at stake!”

Keith huffed and slumped into his seat with a pout, though his hand reached for Hunk’s non-discretely. “Just kiss already!”

Lance tried to tune them out, tried to focus on Shiro, but Hunk’s words broke through his defenses.  _ The fate of Shiro’s memory may or may not ride on this kiss.  _ It was an exaggeration, of course; if this didn’t work, they’d look for another way to jog his memory.

But… Lance  _ really  _ wanted this to work.

Shiro’s hand suddenly stroked his cheek. Lance startled at the contact, eyes darting up to Shiro’s. “Hey, you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“N-No, that’s not it!” Lance quickly objected. His hand met Shiro’s on his cheek as he leaned into the touch gratefully. His hand was a little cold, but Lance didn’t mind at all. “I just… don’t want to mess this up.”

Shiro smiled softly at him, the expression so familiar that it brought tears to Lance’s eyes. He’d missed that smile, the genuine one that reflected in his eyes and his touch. It was one reserved exclusively for Lance, he’d told him a couple of weeks into their relationship. Subconsciously, that memory had to be in there. This expression was proof of that.

Wordlessly, Lance began to move, inching closer to Shiro until he was hovering over his lap, their lips only centimeters apart. He gave Shiro an opportunity to object before closing the distance, brushing their lips together shyly.

Shiro didn’t respond, and after a few more seconds, Lance pulled away dejectedly. Slate eyes immediately looked away, Shiro biting his lip.

“I’m sorry. I-I… it didn’t work.”

Lance nodded, scooting back into his seat dejectedly. It had been a long shot, but he wasn’t the team’s sharpshooter,  _ Shiro’s sharpshooter,  _ for nothing.

Silence fell over the table. Lance could feel the eyes on him, all conveying varying levels of sympathy. No one knew how to comfort him. Truth be told, he didn’t know if he could be. It was like having his heart publicly ripped out and torn into pieces.

“I’m not really hungry,” he announced, pushing his chair back and retreating from the room. “If you need me, I’ll be in my room,” he called before the doors hissed shut behind him. He didn’t look back to see the frown that Shiro directed at his untouched plate of food.

 

* * *

 

 

“Hey buddy, are you alright?” Hunk and Pidge stood in his doorway, the former holding a tray of milkshakes and the latter balancing three slices of cake.

“Since you missed dessert, we took ours to go and snuck an extra piece for you,” the green paladin informed with a small smile.

Lance stepped aside to grant his teammates entry, accepting the offered treats gratefully. “You guys didn’t have to come check on me.”

“But we wanted to,” Hunk assured, patting the space on the bed next to him invitingly. Lance sighed and took a seat beside him, leaning his head on his shoulder. “What are you thinking about right now?”

“About how fairytales lied to me,” the blue paladin grumbled, sipping at his shake carefully. He’d gotten enough brain freezes from the confections to know to pace himself, no matter how desperately he wanted to drown his sorrows in the treat.

Pidge scoffed, already halfway through her slice of cake. “Come on, Lance. Even if we’re already living like protagonists in a sci-fi movie, did you really think that ‘true love’s kiss’ would negate the effects of whatever the Galra did to Shiro?”

“Gee Pidge, you could really make a living out of comforting people,” Lance quipped sarcastically.

Pidge raised her hands. “All I’m saying is that we should look into more practical solutions before you start to hang your head in defeat.”

“Pidge is right,” Hunk nodded, rubbing gentle circles into Lance’s back. “We need to approach this from a different angle.”

Lance curled up beside Hunk, grateful for the contact and comfort. Lance had admittedly been a little touch-starved during Shiro’s absence. And while Hunk’s hugs were much appreciated, they were not a sufficient substitute. Especially not when his boyfriend was only a few doors down…

“Do you guys think that Shiro would even want to remember our relationship?”

Hunk’s hand paused in its motions before sliding to his arm and guiding him to face him fully. “What are you even talking about? What makes you think he wouldn’t?”

Lance’s eyes darted to the ground as scenes from earlier played back in his mind.  _ Shiro’s cold stare, his apathy, his lack of response to that kiss…  _ “He couldn’t even look at me.”

Surprisingly, Pidge was the first to respond, setting her empty plate aside. “Lance, try putting yourself in his shoes. You don’t know what the Galra did to him back there. And now he’s discovering that he’s missing  _ months _ of his memories, some of which include an apparent relationship. I think that would screw anyone up, just a little, don’t you?”

He actually… hadn’t considered that. And crazy as it sounded, Pidge actually had a point. He’d been so caught up in wanting his boyfriend back that he hadn’t stopped to make sure that  _ Shiro _ was back.

“Well… I really screwed up, didn’t I?” he laughed dryly, dragging a hand through his hair.

“No, Lance, it’s not entirely your fault,” Hunk assured, hand back to its soothing ministrations along his back. “Neither of you was prepared to handle something like this; emotions were bound to get thrown around and trampled on. The best course of action, now that you’re aware of the problem, is to tackle this rationally and with care.”

“Okay, and how do you propose I do that?” Pidge and Hunk only shrugged at him.

“He’s your boyfriend,” Pidge stated matter-of-factly. “Why don’t you try doing stuff that you used to do together and try to jog his memory that way?”

“Yeah, like when you made him breakfast in bed after those long nights of planning with the Blades,” Hunk agreed with a chuckle. “I’ve tried to do the same for Keith, but he only chugs the glass of milk before leaving for the training room.”

“I still don’t understand how you two work,” Lance laughed with a shake of his head. He took their advice to heart, though, clenching his fist with resolve. “But you’re right! Instead of sitting around wishing for a kiss to jog his memory, I should work on reminding him of why we got together in the first place!”

“Yeah, that’s the spirit!” Pidge cheered, leaning up from her spot on the ground to high-five him.

He turned to Hunk, then, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Hunk, bro, I think I’m gonna try that breakfast in bed idea - mind giving me a hand with that? It’s been awhile since I’ve messed with the settings on the goo.”

“Say no more,” Hunk grinned, happy to see a genuine smile on his best friend’s face again.

Lance dug into his cake, finally relieved enough to enjoy it. Even if he couldn’t jog Shiro’s memories, he’d be content to make some new ones.

 

* * *

 

 

Shiro stirred from his restless slumber at the hiss of his door sliding open. Raising an arm to shield his eyes from the harsh white light pouring in from the hall, he attempted to make out who his intruder might be… as far as he could remember, no one had access to his room outside of the override control. Fairly tall, lean build… “Lance?”

“Good morning, Sunshine!” The blue paladin beamed at him as he failed to conceal a covered tray behind his back.

“Good morning,” Shiro replied courteously, eyes flickering up to the warm smile on his face. “How did you get into my room?”

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed a blush spread across Lance’s cheeks. “You, um… we programmed each other’s information into our doors back when we were…”

“Right,” Shiro nodded understandingly, sparing Lance’s fumbling. When silence fell over them both, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. “What’s, ah, behind your back?”

Lance startled, seemingly having forgotten his reason for coming. He brandished the tray with pride, setting it beside Shiro so he could remove the cover. Immediately, smells of bacon and pancakes wafted up, flooding his senses. He couldn’t place an exact memory to it, but he could feel it’s familiarity.

“Have you done this before?” Lance’s eyes darted up to his in surprise. “You’ve... brought me breakfast in bed before, right?”

Lance nodded, a bright grin on his face. “Did you remember that? Did a memory come back to you?”

“No,” Shiro frowned thoughtfully, “but I got a very strong sense of deja vu.”

Lance’s demeanor deflated slightly, but he still brandished a sleeve of utensils, offering them to Shiro. “This was your favorite breakfast. It took me a month to get the right consistency and flavor for each component, but the smile on your face was totally worth it.”

It was Shiro’s turn to blush, lowering his head bashfully as he took in the breakfast. His memories of the goo were not very pleasant unless Hunk was at the helm, though he couldn’t recall trying anything that Lance had prepared. And if this was allegedly his favorite breakfast, who was he to doubt his own tastes?

He could feel Lance’s eyes following his fork as he separated a piece of what appeared to be the pancakes. Throwing caution to the wind, he took a bite, eyes widening as the flavors crossed his tongue.

“Wow,” he breathed, staring at Lance in awe. “How could I have forgotten something like that?”

Lance shrugged, eyes fixed on the wall opposite him. “Well… you can’t remember a lot, so that isn’t surprising.”

Shiro frowned then, setting the fork back onto the plate. He reached for Lance’s hands, drawing the brunet’s attention back to him. “Hey, I… I need to apologize for last night.”

Lance worried his lip between his teeth, though he remained silent and allowed Shiro to continue. “I was very confused and admittedly a little scared, but that’s no excuse for the way that I treated you. I had no right to be such a jerk to you, especially when you had no idea what I was going through. I really didn’t mean to be so cold-”

“Shiro, it’s alright,” Lance cut in, a small smile stretching his lips. “I only stormed out because I took things personally without considering your feelings. We were both irrational and probably just needed a step back so we could clear our heads.”

This was a side to Lance that Shiro  _ really  _ regretted not being able to recall. He displayed a level of maturity that he’d always known was present, but couldn’t remember ever seeing so outright. Lance squeezed their joined hands, prompting Shiro to mirror his expression.

“So, are we okay?” the brunet asked hopefully.

Shiro nodded, squeezing his hands back. “Definitely.”

 

* * *

 

 

It wasn’t equivalent to jogging his memory, but Lance would take what he could get. Shiro had opened up to him after their talk over breakfast, asking him about their relationship and events that he couldn’t recall.

There were moments of deja vu that reminded Lance to keep hope alive. He would mention an inside joke between them that Shiro would subconsciously finish. Or Shiro would grab his hand to guide him around one of Pidge’s booby traps that had been removed during his absence. Or Lance would pin him to the ground during practice and Shiro would reach up and tickle his sides until he yielded.

Two weeks passed in this manner. Lance would continue to bring Shiro breakfast in bed, answering any new questions that might’ve popped up overnight and listening to his concerns about his memory.

“I have these dreams that I think are memories of my time in captivity,” he confessed under his breath one morning. “In one of them, I overheard them talk about erasing my memories as far back as my time in the arena. Probably lucky that I got out when I did… but what if it happens anyway? This is all just so frustrating! It’s like I can feel the missing space, but I can’t fill in the blank.”

Lance had to strain to hear his words, but once he understood them he couldn’t help but throw his arms around Shiro comfortingly. “Don’t even think like that. You’re here and you’re free. And I would never forgive myself for letting them hurt you again. We’ll… we’ll get through this. We always do.”

That was incredibly distressing news. Not only had the Galra tampered with his memories, but they’d also planned on removing as far back as his gladiator days? He stuck a mental pin into that subject to bring up to the rest of the team later. His primary objective now was to make sure that Shiro was okay.

The black paladin flinched at the contact but didn’t push him away, eventually relaxing into the hug and burying his face into his neck. He still sported the beard, the coarse hair scratching Lance’s exposed skin.

“Alright, time for a shave,” he declared, deciding that a change of subject would do them both some good.

“Only if you’ll cut my hair while you’re at it,” Shiro shot back with a small grin. “Long hair is really hard to maintain.”

“Aww, but I like the manbun! It’s really grown on me,” Lance pouted, running his fingers through the tangled tresses.

Shiro rolled his eyes before standing and stretching. “Yeah, well maybe I’ll grow it out again later, who knows?” he teased.

“Is that a promise?” Lance shot back with a smirk, standing to follow Shiro out the door. Coran was probably best equipped to provide them with supplies for a haircut.

“Only if you want it to be,” he shrugged, though there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that Lance had seen  _ multiple  _ times in their relationship.

“Oh, I  _ definitely  _ want it to be,” Lance smirked, laughing at the blush that crossed Shiro’s features. “Now quit teasing me and let’s get your hair cut!”

 

* * *

 

 

Another week passed uneventfully. The team resumed their Voltron duties, though Keith continued to lead on missions. Shiro remained with Coran, the Altean even bringing up logs and schematics of old battle plans to try to trigger his memories. The team didn’t take a foot off of the gas pedal, either.

“How about Slav, do you remember him?” Pidge spontaneously asked during dinner one evening.

Shiro furrowed his brows before shaking his head. “No, but something tells me that I should be grateful I don’t…”

Lance chuckled at that, patting Shiro’s shoulder. “He definitely pushed your buttons more than anyone else.”

While mornings were still spent eating breakfast in Shiro’s bed, evenings would be spent sharing dessert in Lance’s room, a ritual that Shiro seemed to subconsciously recognize.

“Though… we’d do more than just eat cake or ice cream, wouldn’t we?” Shiro asked one night, rouge dusting his cheeks.

The question had caught Lance off guard, his spoon clattering to the ground in surprise. “Uh, y-yeah, we… back then we would,” he agreed bashfully, not meeting Shiro’s gaze. Then a thought occurred to him. “Wh-Why, do you remember that?!”

Shiro shook his head with an amused smile. “No, but that would be an interesting memory to have return first.”

Memories had definitely returned to Lance’s mind at the mention of their nightly escapades. And he definitely had to agree with Shiro on that.

They fell back into an amicable silence, Lance licking his ice cream out of his bowl with the loss of his spoon.

“Hey, you have a little…” Shiro reached out and swiped his thumb along Lance’s bottom lip just as the brunet’s tongue darted out to catch the ice cream that he knew he’d missed.

They both froze, the unexpected contact more sensual than either would admit. Shiro’s thumb remained at his lips, Lance’s tongue just hidden behind them. Neither dared to speak, both caught between shock and arousal.

Finally, Shiro retracted his thumb, though his eyes remained locked on Lance’s lips. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, it’s fine,” Lance breathed, shaken from his stupor. “It wasn’t…  _ unpleasant. _ ”

“Oh?” Shiro raised a brow, silently asking Lance to elaborate.

Lance’s blush darkened. “I-I mean… if you wanted to - wait no - I don’t want you to feel like you have to… oh for fuck’s sake!”

He hadn’t planned on it, but his fist was suddenly balling the front of Shiro’s shirt and his lips were suddenly flush with the black paladin’s. He didn’t expect a response, but he released all of the tension that had been pent up over the months of his absence into the kiss.

He almost didn’t feel Shiro’s lips slowly move against his own. One of Shiro’s arms wrapped around his waist, a hand moving to cradle his jaw and tilt his head into  _ just the right angle… _

“Shiro!” Lance gasped, breaking the kiss breathlessly. “Wh-D-Did you…?”

Shiro beamed at him, the tears in his eyes an indicator that something had clicked. “I don’t know how you did it, but  _ I remember!” _

It took a second for Lance’s muddled thoughts to process the declaration, but when they did, he found himself struggling to hold his tears back, his hands cupping his mouth to contain the sobs that wanted to break through. “Kashi?”

Shiro brushed his lips against his forehead in that comforting manner that only he could pull off. “It’s me, Kitten. I’m here.”

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of [VLD Tropes Fest](http://vldtropesfest.tumblr.com) | Comments and Kudos are appreciated | Anonymous creators will be revealed after the masterlist is posted!


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